French Open, quarter-finals

Robredo provides shock of the day by taking a set off Federer - then comes the payback

As if perhaps sensing that repetition can be awfully tedious, Roger Federer dropped his first set in 12 grand-slam matches during his French Open quarter-final against Spain's Tommy Robredo yesterday, thereby exposing a hint of human frailty in a game that had seemingly become grooved perfection. This being Federer, such a lapse immediately induced more than a touch of the vapours among his many fans, who not so much expect as demand that he appears in the final on Sunday. They need not have worried, as the world No1 rushed back like a mighty gathering wind to win 7-5, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2.

On Friday Federer will play Russia's Nikolay Davydenko who - in a contest of startling brevity, given his and his opponent's propensity to extend matches into what seems like days - defeated Argentina's Guillermo Canas, a player who might out-barnacle a barnacle, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4. In eight previous attempts Davydenko, the world No4, has never beaten Federer, and the whole of the tennis world outside of Russia is anxious that he never will - at least not on this occasion.

The superlatives concerning Federer, who won his 10th grand-slam title at the Australian Open this year, have all but been exhausted. The only area of fallibility remains here, his bar to ever perhaps being named the greatest player of all time. For the past two years it has been Spain's Rafael Nadal who has supplied the Kryptonite and sent the Swiss superman tumbling - the first time in the 2005 semi-finals, when Nadal won the title for the first time, and then in the final last year.

Federer entered Roland Garros, as he did last year, with the Wimbledon, US and Australian Open titles already tucked away. The difference this time is that he arrived without a coach, having ditched the Australian Tony Roche during the Italian Open. Flying solo, Federer immediately defeated Nadal for the first time on clay in the Hamburg Masters series last month, and has appeared equally comfortable if not always inspired.

While others, including Nadal, would have let their eyes stray across to the coaching seats having lost a set so decisively, Federer looked into himself and discovered the clarity of purpose and vision reserved for great champions. Robredo, the world No9, simply did not have a prayer.

"I was hitting too flat instead of looping the ball a bit more and using the wind. I was struggling," admitted Federer. "I was just hoping to get a good start in the third set, and once I got that I was on a roll again." That said, Federer rarely loses a set 6-1, and if Nadal rather than Robredo had been on the other side of the net the outcome might have been considerably different.

Despite his 100% record against Davydenko, Federer knows the Russian is high on confidence, having come close to beating Nadal during the Italian Open. "He's made a lot of headway over the past few years, and he has a strong mindset now. He knows how to fire the ball and he moves well. But when you reach the semi-final of a slam this is always the case," said Federer. And this is the maestro's 12th consecutive grand-slam semi-final, during which run he has won eight major titles, including the US Open last year when he beat the Russian in the semi-final in straight sets.

For Davydenko a grand-slam final is unknown territory and it is difficult to see him getting past Federer again this time. "What works against Canas will not work against Federer. But I'm not putting any pressure on myself," he said. Perhaps he should watch a looped tape of that second set Robredo won. But forget the rest.